Follow the Free Wind - Leigh Brackett

Follow the Free Wind, (1963, Leigh Brackett, Doubleday, $2.95, 215pp, hc) Cover: Ray Houlihan
Follow the Free Wind, (Jun 1974, Leigh Brackett, Ballantine, 0-345-24013-8, $1.25, 213pp, pb) Cover: Frank C. McCarthy

There's also a Large Print version from 2002 from Center Point Pub. (the one I read).


This won the Western Writers of America award.

http://leighbrackett.blogspot.com/2009/05/western-writers-of-america-award-leigh.html

A novelised version of the life of James Beckwourth, an half-breed that got into more adventures than you could imagine. Born just before the start of the 19th century, he got to live through the expansion west and more up into the 1860s.

A trailblazer with a general, a mountain man, after helping out the general's money man, a beaver trapper, a Crow warchief, running shops and trading posts, and an army scout.

Not to mention a horse thief, warrior and more. In fact, you would have been hard pressed to completely make all this up.

Towards the ends of the novel a journalist comes looking for him, wanting to recount his story, as other famous adventurers such as Kit Carson had books that sold well.

Looking it up, this book came out of these discussions:The Life and Adventures of James P. Beckwourth: Mountaineer, Scout, Pioneer and Chief of the Crow Nation by Thomas Bonner.


3.5 out of 5

Rio Bravo - Leigh Brackett

Rio Bravo, (Jan 1959, Leigh Brackett, Bantam, #1893, $0.25, 154+6pp, pb)

Novelisation of the movie. Unread.


http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?110549

Rio Lobo - Leigh Brackett and Burton Wohl

1970, National General. 114 mins.


A just after the Civil War Western with John Wayne.


3 out of 5

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio_Lobo

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066301/

El Dorado - Leigh Brackett

Paramount, 1967. 126 mins.

A John Wayne western with a lot of similarities to Rio Bravo.


3.5 out of 5

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Dorado_(film)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061619/

Hatari! - Leigh Brackett

1962, Paramount.


A John Wyane movie about capturing animals in Africa for zoos before tranquiliser guns were available. Lots of chasing in vehicles and roping, and funny antics with monkeys and baby elephants and pet leopards to go with it.


4 out of 5

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatari!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056059/

Gold of the Seven Saints - Leigh Brackett and Leonard Freeman

Warner, 1961. 88 mins. Black and White.

Amusing treasure hunting dodgy bloke buddy movie with rivals who'd like to perforate 'em.


3.5 out of 5


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_of_the_Seven_Saints

Rio Bravo - Leigh Brackett and Jules Furthman

Armarda, 1959. 141 mins.

Classic Western starring John Wayne. A great movie.


5 out of 5

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio_Bravo_(film)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053221/